Crosssing paths
Think tank: The Sutton Trust
Author(s): Dr Esme Lillywhite; Dr Kevin Latham; Carl Cullinane; Tolani-Ruth Ogundamisi
June 18, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores how gender, ethnicity and place shape opportunity.
Our Opportunity Index provided the most detailed ever look at the geography of opportunity and social mobility in England, revealing great disparities between different areas. However, we also know that average outcomes can hide important differences across gender and ethnicity. In this report, we look at how opportunities for disadvantaged young people interact with gender and ethnicity and how this varies regionally across England.
The research looks at educational attainment and earnings by socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity and region. It also takes a close look at outcomes for white working-class pupils by constituency across the country, from educational attainment to employment outcomes.
Alongside the brief, we have published an interactive map ranking constituencies according to a range of measures, from school attainment to earnings, for White British pupils eligible for Free School Meals. It is accompanied by a unique interactive data story which walks you through the patterns we have uncovered for this group in our research and allows exploration in greater depth.
